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Bruce A. Scherr

Memphis, TN | Distinguished Ag Alumni: 2007

When it comes to boundless energy
and unbridled enthusiasm for the task at
hand, Bruce Scherr’s wife, Susie,
occasionally compares him to his threeyear-
old grandson — a resemblance
appreciated by Scherr, his employees,
and hundreds of global clients alike.
As Chairman of the Board and Chief
Executive Officer of Informa Economics,
Inc., a company he founded as Agri
Commodities in 1981, Scherr heads one
of the world’s premier agricultural and
commodity research, analyses, and
consulting firms. Informa Economics
provides high-end services to over 750
food and agribusiness firms and
organizations worldwide from offices in
Memphis, Washington D.C., Minneapolis,
and Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Scherr’s most significant career
milestones are also those he applies to
his company today. As a divisional vice
president at Data Resources Inc. from
1974 to 1979, he developed and utilized
the first commercially available
econometric model for U.S. agriculture
— a fully interactive forecasting tool
designed to provide problem-solving
information. This breakthrough led to
advisory roles with numerous government
agencies, including the President’s Council
of Economic Advisers and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
His company’s success hinges on
sensitivity to clients’ issues and
opportunities, and Scherr believes the
advent of renewable fuels, “the single
biggest event to affect global agriculture
in fifty years,” represents both.
“It’s like taking a giant boulder and
throwing it into a still pond,” he says.
“Ethanol production has broad, farreaching
consequences from farmer to
consumer and everyone in between.”
Scherr may match the vigor of a threeyear-
old, but his peers equally energize
him. “We have two assets — our people
and our clients. And the more talented your
client base, and the tougher their questions,
the better you are as a consultant.”
“Working with great people around the world
to seize opportunities and to solve
challenging problems defines my career,
and Purdue University was the primary
contributor that enabled this experience.”